Attorney General Pam Bondi pulled out of a high-profile anti-trafficking summit on Wednesday citing a medical issue.
Newsweek has contacted the Attorney General’s office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Pam Bondi remains a high-profile figure in Republican politics and a prominent Trump ally, making any disruption to her public appearances significant—especially amid renewed scrutiny of the Jeffrey Epstein case.
What To Know
Bondi was scheduled to appear at CPAC’s Summit Against Human Trafficking in Washington D.C.
But just before the event was set to begin, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti announced her absence. “I do have a note from Attorney General Pam Bondi that I wanted to share,” he said, before reading her statement.
Bondi said in her statement: “I’m sorry to miss all of my CPAC friends today. Unfortunately, I am recovering from a recently torn cornea, which is preventing me from being with you. I truly wish I was able to join you and support all of the work being done on this critical issue.”
The Justice Department did not disclose additional information about Bondi’s health condition.
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Drug Enforcement Administration, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Arlington, Va.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The announcement came just 90 minutes before The Wall Street Journal published a report alleging that Bondi informed President Donald Trump back in May that his name appears multiple times in the Epstein files.
Trump had previously claimed that Bondi had not told him whether he was named in the documents. The White House has denied The Wall Street Journal‘s report.
“The fact is that the President kicked him out of his [Mar-a-Lago] club for being a creep,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement.
“This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media, just like the Obama Russiagate scandal, which President Trump was right about,” Cheung continued.
A Justice Department memo earlier this month confirmed Epstein died by suicide in 2019 and that the government is not in possession of an “incriminating” list of his clients.
The memo contradicted comments made by Bondi earlier this year in which she claimed an Epstein “client list” was on her desk. But she later walked back the claim, clarifying that she was referring to the broader Epstein case file—not a specific list of clients.
Meanwhile, Trump reportedly lashed out at his own supporters amid the fallout over the files, calling them “weaklings” for being “duped” by what he called a “hoax” pushed by Democrats.
But he later walked back the comments and directed Bondi to begin the process of unsealing grand jury materials related to Epstein.
On Wednesday, a U.S. District Judge rejected a Justice Department bid to unseal grand jury materials related to Epstein.
What Happens Next
District Judge Robin Rosenberg has asked the DOJ to create a new case “in the public interest” to facilitate access to materials related to the Epstein probe.
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